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This pretty hacienda would look more at home on a Mexican hillside than on busy Lorain Road, but the big menu of housemade south-of-the-border fare will be familiar to most Northeast Ohioans. Among the notables, spicy serrano-spiked salsa is a standout, and quivering homemade flan, with a dulce de leche caress, is a delight.

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Standard fare like burritos, chimichangas and tacos gets an unexpected dollop of grace from the use of top-notch ingredients and attentive preparation at this casual, independently owned Mexican restaurant.

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This colorful Mexican restaurant produces what may be the city's best mole, that thick, mahogany-colored sauce of tomatoes, peppers, chocolate, ground nuts, raisins, and spices. The rest of the kitchen's output isn't bad either, with virtually everything made from scratch.

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This classy-looking Mexican eatery  complete with handsome bar and first-rate tequila selection  features well-organized lunch and dinner menus encompassing all the usual crowd-pleasers, including burritos, tacos, and fajitas. But in our book, the savory chicken in mole sauce steals the show.

Michoacan state eateries celebrate the simple pleasures of mole poblano, Swiss enchiladas with chicken and green sauce, and pork ribs with tomatillo sauce. The west side location is a classic taqueria (read: diner) serving a crowd that grew up eating the stuff.

Don't let the plain decor fool you: All the excitement you need waits on your plate at this no-nonsense Mexican restaurant, starting with the first tongue-tingling taste of the table salsa and ending with the last bite of the soft, caramely cajeta for dessert. Other faves include homemade guacamole and some of the best chiles rellenos north of the Rio Grande. Full bar, good selection of Mexican beers and tequilas.

Casual, comfortable, and beautifully appointed, this Mexican bar and grill is an inexpensive stop for after-work unwinding or for grabbing a bite before downtown entertainment. While the food isn't always as interesting as the decor, it partners up perfectly with the vast tequila collection, featuring nearly 100 brands served straight up, in flights, or as part of 30 or so oversize cocktails.